Yegor Sushkin scored 25 points as Ukraine's U-20 basketball team defeated Finland 84:77 in a friendly match, getting revenge for their loss the previous day.
Sushkin hit six three-pointers in an impressive shooting display that helped Ukraine overcome a slow start. The young Ukrainian squad showed significant improvement in their outside shooting, converting 8 of 23 attempts from beyond the arc compared to just 3 of 24 in their previous encounter.
"We made the necessary adjustments after yesterday's game and found our rhythm, especially from three-point range," a team representative might have noted after the victory.
Finland started stronger and held a narrow edge after the first quarter at 25:24. The second quarter ended in a deadlock at 11-11, but Ukraine made their move late in the third period. They extended their run into the fourth quarter, building a 12-point advantage before Finland attempted a comeback. Despite Finland's push to close the gap, Ukraine maintained their composure down the stretch to secure the win.
The statistics told the story of Ukraine's improved performance. They dominated the rebounding battle 45-38, recorded 10 steals to Finland's 3, and earned 31 free throw attempts, converting 22 of them for a solid 71% success rate.
Maksym Klychko contributed 18 points to the Ukrainian cause, while Desmond Yyamu and Vitaliy Kuznetsov added 10 points each to provide balanced scoring behind Sushkin's hot hand.
Interestingly, this victory evens the two-game series with Finland after Ukraine dropped the first contest 70:87. Prior to these matches, the Ukrainian squad had shown good form by defeating Estonia twice and Georgia once, with their only other setback coming against Latvia.
The friendly matches serve as crucial preparation for Ukraine's U-20 team ahead of the upcoming European Championship in Division A. Can they carry this momentum into the tournament? If Sushkin continues his sharp shooting, they certainly have a fighting chance.
